Mike Ruggiero has watched his other children play for the Par-Troy East All-Star team and try to reach the Little League World Series. Now he and his youngest son may finally do it.

“It’s awesome,” Daniel Ruggiero said. “He has been coaching me for a long time. Our first time out, I didn’t know how to throw a ball. Being here, this is like our dream.”

The Parsippany team’s manager has been with this group of kids for five years and is sharing this historic run with Daniel, the team’s slick fielding second baseman and second-place hitter. The Ruggiero family has been down this road before, but never been a win away from a trip to Williamsport, Pa.

Emil Matti will be on the mound as Par-Troy faces a powerful Newark National (Del.) club at 5 p.m. Sunday (ESPN2) in the Mid-Atlantic Regional final at Breen Field in Bristol, Conn.

“I’ve known [my players] half their lives,” Mike Ruggiero said. “I’ll do anything for any of them.”

Daniel Ruggiero is the last of four children to play for Par-Troy since 1997. Older brothers Evan and Matthew both made the 12-year-old All-Star team, but Mike Ruggiero said those teams didn’t have enough pitching to get to this point.

Daniel Ruggiero had three hits, scored three runs and drove in the go-ahead run in Par-Troy’s 9-4 semifinal win over Collier Township, Pa., on Friday. Benner Uygen pitched well and homered along with Anthony Scannelli and Matti.

Delaware, behind a two-pitcher no-hitter and a 12-hit attack, beat Maryland 6-0 in its semifinal after a more than six-hour rain delay. Delaware and Par-Tro East did not meet in pool play.

“Obviously they are very good,” Mike Ruggiero said. “It’s a pitch at a time.”

The Par-Troy players, who already won their program’s first 12-year-old state title, have played together nearly their entire lives. They want to keep the run going and continue to enjoy sharing this experience with their entire town.

“We are so proud of ourselves,” Daniel Ruggiero said. “We are going to keep on fighting.”